Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the witnesses for being here with us today and for everything they, and all the doctors and physicians they work with, do for society day in, day out. This committee has been set a very tough challenge in a very tough timeframe. It is only because of expert witnesses that we are able to inform ourselves. We are all very aware that if we change the laws, and it is an "if" at this stage, the witnesses' profession will be the most impacted. We understand and respect that. It is why their testimony and participation today is so critically important.

I thank Dr. Twomey for sharing information on all the work the RCPI has done on this issue and the papers it has produced. There is no doubt it has done an absolutely huge amount of work on this. Setting up the expert group and reviewing it a number of years later really shows it has taken the issue very seriously for a number of years. It has done a huge amount of research and taken a very definitive stance on the issue. Dr. Twomey is representing the 11,000 members and fellows of the RCPI. What did the consultation involve? Was there a ballot of members before arriving at the official stance?